Joe Calzaghe’s father and trainer Enzo insists his son is “no angel” and will beat Bernard Hopkins at his own game if the American tries to drag Saturday’s light-heavyweight super-fight into the trenches.

Much has been made of Hopkins’ assertion that his fantastic defensive tactics will provide the perfect foil to Calzaghe’s lightning-fast hands and intelligent come-forward style.

Enzo Calzaghe

But Calzaghe senior said: “Joe has fought just as dirty as the dirty fighters he’s faced. Hopkins is not meeting an angel in that ring. He might look like an angel but he is a dirty fighter if need be.”

Calzaghe senior went on to mock Hopkins’ self-proclaimed status as a legend, and accused him of running scared of the kind of toe-to-toe tear-up which will excite the Thomas and Mack Center crowd.

The trainer already had a fractious relationship with Hopkins after the American mocked his ability to put coaching duties ahead of paternal instinct during the head-to-head press conference.

But Enzo got his own back, insisting: “All this stuff Hopkins is saying suggests to me he has low self-esteem. The guy’s got no guts and no faith in himself. It smacks of cowardice.

“He always says ‘I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that’, but he’s a guy who never comes to fight and has never excited me in any way, shape or form. He’s a stealer and a smotherer and that’s all.

“He talks about being a legend but now the world wants to see that legend. If he turns out to be a legend, I’ll be the first person to hold my hands up and admit that he’s a great fighter.

“But the world wants to see him in a proper fight. Joe will live up to those expectations and perform like a true champion. We want Hopkins to fight the way he should fight. But deep down Hopkins knows he cannot win.”